The Bering Sea in winter is a realm to which most people – aside from some very hardy fishermen – give a wide berth. Winter in this northern sea framed by Alaska and Siberia is frigid, stormy, and dark. But remarkably, some birds seem right at home here.

The crested auklet is one such bird.

A petite cousin of puffins, the crested auklet stands 10 inches high, weighs nine ounces, and is feathered in charcoal gray. This little seabird takes its name from a comical crest curling out over the top of its large, orange bill. If that’s not whimsical enough, crested auklets bark like chihuahuas. And to top that off, the seabirds exude an odor of oranges from a chemical they produce that repels bothersome ticks.

Crested auklets nest in immense colonies on Bering Sea islands, and remain nearby through winter, in flocks of many thousands. Because the auklets concentrate in huge numbers, they’re at risk from oil spills.

The auklets present a superb natural spectacle. Picture a flock of tens of thousands of crested auklets flying low across the wave tops, yipping like an army of chihuahuas... while trailing a perfume of fresh citrus.

Today’s show brought to you by the Bobolink Foundation. For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann.